Thu Feb 28 - Sun Mar 2 Sorry, Dude: The Abridged Coen Brothers

Description THU FEBRUARY 28 DOUBLE FEATURE 7p: O Brother, Where Art Thou? George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson are escaped convicts whose journey becomes a long and circuitous Depression Era adventure. This zany and very funny bluegrass version of Homer’s THE ODYSSEY is a rollicking collection of comic bits, Southern folklore, slapstick stunts, cinematic tributes, religious ritual, political satire, and social commentary. With Charles Durning, John Goodman and Holly Hunter. (2000, 107 min, ‘SCOPE) 9:10p: The Man Who Wasn’t There The Coen’s return to noir territory is set in Santa Rosa circa 1949. It follows the twisted adventures of barber Billy Bob Thornton whose dream of becoming a dry-cleaner leads to a blackmail scheme that soon goes haywire, landing him neck-deep in bizarre events of the Coen variety. Roger Deakins’ velvety black-and-white photography is a sumptuous delight. With Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini and Scarlett Johansson. (2001, 116 min) FRI FEBRUARY 29 DOUBLE FEATURE 7p: Barton Fink Set in 1941, John Turturro is the title character, a newly successful N.Y. playwright suffering from writer’s block in an eerie L.A. hotel. Relief comes from a traveling salesman living next door (a career-best performance from John Goodman) but as Fink drifts further away from his script strange things happen. The Coen’s depiction of a decent into madness won best picture, director and actor at Cannes. With Judy Davis, John Mahoney and Michael Lerner. (1991, 116 min) 9:15p: Miller’s Crossing This glorious crime thriller is about competing gangs of thugs, each looking to one up the other in the street games of racketeering and profiteering. Not a re-invention of the gangster genre but an embrace of the old-fashioned Hollywood model, a work of substantial brilliance steeped in traditional formulas and benchmarks. With Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro and Jon Polito. (1990, 115 min) SAT MARCH 1 DOUBLE FEATURE 2:50p, 7p: The Hudsucker Proxy Tim Robbins plays a small town schmo set on climbing the corporate ladder by selling his toy idea to scheming big city executive Paul Newman. Deftly mixing elements from Sturges to Capra to Hawks, with the grey faux-Gothic cityscape to the over-the-top acting and rapid-fire dialogue to the stark sets, this film hearkens back to Hollywood’s golden era. With Jennifer Jason Leigh and Charles Durning. Written by the Coens & Sam Raimi. (1994, 111 min) 1p, 5p, 9:10p: Raising Arizona Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter star as a desperate couple that obtains a baby by illegitimate means in their misguided attempt to achieve the American dream. This riotous, offbeat slapstick is all about excess, from the larger-than-life characters to the ridiculous situations that ensue. With John Goodman, William Forsyth, Trey Wilson and Tex Cobb. (1987, 94 min) SUN MARCH 2 DOUBLE FEATURE 3p, 7p: Fargo In the Coen’s snowbound noir, Frances McDormand stars as a very pregnant local police chief patiently piecing together a crime involving weaselly car salesman William H. Macy and a couple of ne’er-do-wells. Each character is given a rich backstory and the film is loaded with detail, exploring the mundane aspects of Midwestern life. McDormand won the Oscar, as did the Coen’s screenplay. With Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare and Harve Presnell. (1996, 98 min) 1:05p, 5p, 9:05p: Blood Simple A bar owner who finds out his wife is unfaithful with his bartender decides to have them rubbed out. He hires a sleazy private eye to do the job for him, but the greedy gumshoe has other ideas. This sly, tongue-in-cheek, Texas noir had enough twists and turns to launch the Coens on their road to stardom. With John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and a gleefully corrupt M. Emmet Walsh. (1984, 94 min)

Advertise with SF Station | Media Kit | Job Opportunities | Site Map | List Your Business | List Your Event
Contact SF Station | About SF Station | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Copyright 2008 SF Station: A City Guide by Boulevards. All rights reserved.